Welcome to the Garden
by monkeygirl77
Summary: Raphael remembers his very first charge, the very first fledgling he'd raised, he's never been so proud of one angel. He should remember him, he sees him everyday. He lives in the Garden and talks to God, or he listens, as he likes to say. Joshua has probably got to be the one charge he'll always remember.


**So its kind of my headcanon that Raphael was the one who started off as Garden and he trained Joshua to replace him. So that would make baby Joshua as Raphael's responsibility.**

 **Its cute, you know you wanna read it!**

* * *

When he had gotten the little angel as his charge, he had not been sure what to think. He had never raised a young one before, and was secretly fearful he would make a mistake in doing so.

But one doesn't tell Father no when He comes to you specifically for a task.

Little hands reached up for the curly hair framing his face and he smiled down at the small hatchling, taking hold of the outreached teeny hand and shook it lightly.

"No no Little One, you mustn't do that."

He got a gummy smile from the little one in return for his efforts, and a light giggle.

Raphael's grace soared at the sound.

"Welcome to the Garden, Little Joshua."

* * *

The Four sat around, lounging in the soft grasses, circled around the small fledgling in their midst. Joshua giggled at the attentions from his guardian and his brothers. The Messenger smiled at the fledgling, tossing another plucked flower onto his small chubby legs, earning himself a happy wave of the arms and a bright giggle.

"Are you a giggly little fledgling today Joshy?"

His fledgling brother giggles again and claps his hands in excitement. Joshua rocks back and forth giggling, Gabriel smiles at his baby brother and watches in surprise as he rocks himself forward, his little hands grasping the soft grass, and pulls himself up onto wobbly legs.

The golden winged archangel clapped his brother on the shoulder, the arm, anywhere he could reach. Raphael turned to tell him to stop, perhaps give his side a good tickle for deciding it was a wise idea to hit him as he was, but his attention was directed outwards once again.

"Joshua!"

His fledgling charge was standing, and he giggled, clapped his hands, and took a wobbly step forward.

And then another.

And another.

Michael smiled at his youngest brother, clapping the Healer on the shoulder, "Well, he is growing quite well", and then to Joshua, "Does this mean you will become much more of a trouble maker, little one?"

The Morning Star grinned at the question directed at the babe, "Of course not, he knows the tummy torture he would get as a reaction."

Joshua giggled at all of them, but his eyes were only for his beloved Guardian, Raphael opened his arms for the child and beckoned him on.

"Come here little one, come to me, you can do it dragonfly."

The fledgling giggled again, lifting a chubby foot, and took another wobbly step. They all cheered at his step, and the one he made after. It was a sight to see, their little fledgling brother wobbling across the ground so spectacularly.

Joshua was such a happy little one.

"Rapha! Rapha!"

His archangel caretaker beckoned him on encouragingly, "You can do it small one! A few more steps flower child. Come on now!"

"RaRa! RaRa!"

"You doing absolutely wonderfully Dream Child! A few more steps! You can do it!"

The little tyke stumbled on his little chubby legs and all three archangel's breaths caught in awaiting panic to comfort after any falls that might happen. Joshua merely giggled, waved his little teeny arms for balance as he stumbled his way forward to his awaiting Guardian.

Raphael swooped him up at the last step, smiling brighter then his brothers had ever seen him, the fledgling giggling even brighter.

"You did it! You did it little one!"

Joshua giggled again, clapping his hands excitedly, "Did! Did!"

Michael shared a look with Lucifer and they smiled at one another, for all of Raphael's fear of having to raise a fledgling on his own he was turning out to be a natural. Joshua absolutely adored him, and the feeling was mutual.

* * *

It had come to that time that Joshua was meant to attempt to make something for himself. He'd been thinking long and hard about what he wanted to create for his Papa and Rapha and when the idea had come to him he had explicitly told the two to stay away until he was finished with his surprise.

No matter, it had been a long while since Raphael and Father had last spent a free moment together and simply had the opportunity to talk.

They would both be lying if they said that neither of them tried to peek over their shoulders to see what ever it was the fledgling was making in his hands.

Joshua's giggles signified his finishing and they turned.

Raphael raised an eyebrow at the sight of Gabriel wearing a crown of oily green leaves.

Their little flower patch child handed one up to Lucifer.

Father chuckled under His breath.

"Little Joshua, what have you made for us today?"

The fledgling pointed at the crowns that his two big brothers wore.

"Leafs! Leaf crown!"

Gabriel made a face, scratching at his arm lightly, though he refrained from commenting on the matter seeing as he did not want to hurt his sweet fledgling brothers feelings.

He looked up when his older brother leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Poison Ivy Crown."

Gabriel's eyes widened.

No.

* * *

Lucifer sighed in relief as the oat water soaked into his skin, easing the itch into nothingness. Gabriel leaned against his shoulder calmly, sleepily, as a hand scratched at his scalp lovingly, but there was one who was having none of it.

Joshua was fighting Raphael tooth and nail to stay out of this bathtub of oats.

The healer was at his wits end with this little one.

Sighing deeply Raphael stood up, pulling the little one away from the bath he was refusing to enter, and set him down slightly only to roll up his sleeves in preparation for getting down to business.

Lifting the fledgling up once more, Raphael tossed him into the bath, squeezed fingers into his sides to keep him from sprawling out again. Joshua splashed down and they laughed at the betrayed look he sent after he resurfaced again.

Raphael sat on the floor next to the tub and offered peace by holding out a small toy boat. Chuckling when Joshua's face completely lightened and he took it up quickly.

"Not so bad now is it? Let this be a lesson to you, Gabriel and Lucifer, I have no problems letting little Joshua feel the itch for a mere few hours and healing him right back up but you two, you two thought it a good idea to hide my potions book last week."

They both gave him 'deer in headlights' expressions and opened their mouths in an apt impression of a fish.

"What is it they say, revenge is best served swiftly and in one take."

Joshua was thoroughly distracted by his toy boats but the elder two weren't so much as they were by the aspect of being stuck like this for long term. Gabriel looked back at Lucifer in alarm.

"Luci tell him he cant do that!"

"He will do no such thing, I assure you both."

Michael rubbed a hand over Raphael's soft head as he came to sit on the side of the tub. Joshua gave a soft smile as he waved up from his boats and other water toys, Michael returned such a sweet greeting in kind with one of his own.

The fledgling giggled and splashed again with his boats.

"I think little brothers should take a rest after this, all of them, it's been quite the exciting day, hasn't it?"

At the end of their soak they all ended up in the large bed in Michael's room, much to the aforementioned archangels amusement, Raphael having long since healed them all of their ailments, cuddled together.

Gabriel and Joshua long since out for the count, Raphael himself not far behind, Lucifer and Michael whispering in hushed tones above their heads.

"Close your eyes and rest little brother, you're completely spent."

He hadn't been a fledgling in sometime now, but it sure felt good to be treated as one every now and again.


End file.
